SaharaReporters on Tuesday reported that a religious crisis had started after the Church of Christ In Nations (COCIN) in the state was set ablaze by some hoodlums.
The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja has claimed the efforts being made by the Nigerian military to curb the ongoing religious crisis in the Mangu area of Plateau State would yield no result if the government and the people fail to cooperate with its efforts.
SaharaReporters on Tuesday reported that a religious crisis had started after the Church of Christ In Nations (COCIN) in the state was set ablaze by some hoodlums.
SaharaReporters learnt that rampaging armed men torched church buildings and attacked those perceived to be Christians in Mangu, forcing residents to flee for their lives.
SaharaReporters gathered that the unrest persisted till Wednesday as some men armed with machetes continued to attack and kill residents of the state.
In a video obtained by SaharaReporters, a group of armed men is seen attacking a man and cutting his neck till he is killed. The tragic incident occurred in broad daylight. However, SaharaReporters did not publish the video because of its gory nature.
Addressing newsmen on this development on Thursday morning, the Chief of Army Staff claimed that his men were not overwhelmed by the crisis and other insecurity problems across the country.
However, he said their major hindrance is the lack of cooperation from the government and the people of Plateau State.
He said, “The Nigerian Army is not overwhelmed in any respect. Yes, the crisis on the Plateau has been on for over 10 years. But the Nigerian Army including the other services, and other security agencies have been responding to this crisis. I also need to bring to the fore the fact that in combating any crisis, it is usually chuckling what we call the three trinity in the military, that is the people, the government and the military.
“So it’s a careful balancing act. And so if the military is working very effectively and if people do not cooperate with the military, the results will be negative and if the government do not.
“So I ask for the cooperation of all stakeholders in Plateau with the troops. Give them information, trust them, respect them. They will respond. Within a short spell, you can see that the situation in Mangu has been brought under control. There’s stability in Mangu now. What we want to do is to project out to other parts of Plateau such that there will be peace all around, even beyond Plateau. But the troops are not overwhelmed, they are reacting appropriately. But we need the cooperation of the larger society to be more effective.
“Be rest assured that these troops under my command give their very best and they will stamp out every form of insecurity and bring peace and stability to law-abiding citizens.”
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